2015 BMW F800R First Look

Byron's sure to be hunched over a laptop after the checkers are flown, caught in his own little version of heaven. Whether on dirt, street or a combination of both, MotoUSA's newest addition knows the only thing better than actually riding is telling the story of how things went down.

BMW’s F800R gets a revamp for the 2015 model year, the roadster receiving a bump in horsepower thanks to a retuned engine, new suspension components, new seat and updated styling.

Introduced for the 2009 model year, the F800R has retained certain aspects, such as telescopic forks and the characteristic asymmetric headlights, since its birth. The latest iteration dumps both these in favor of a symmetrical headlight unit and an upside-down fork. BMW changed the braking set-up slightly as well, mounting the front Brembo calipers radially for 2015. Two-channel ABS is standard and has been updated with an additional pressure sensor on the front brake circuit for better precision.

Ergonomics were tweaked thanks to new handlebars which provide a more relaxed riding position. The footpegs have been moved down and forward slightly as well.

Mechanically, BMW press simply states that the engine was “retuned,” giving the newest F800R three extra horsepower (now 90 hp @ 8000 rpm). Torque figures remain the same as previous models, with 63 lb-ft available at 5800 rpm. The Bavarian marque also shortened the first and second gear ratios.

The standard 2015 F800R doesn’t have all the bells and whistles included on some of BMW’s other models, but customers have plenty of upgrade options. Riders can choose to add Automatic Stability Control, Electronic Suspension Adjustment, output restrictors to accord with licensing requirements of certain markets, tire pressure control and more. BMW offers different packages of upgrades, navigation accessories, seat options and plenty of other items to fine-tune the F800R to the needs of a wide variety of riders.